First Steps in Elysium
Academy City Elysium
"Huh?"
The place where I stood on my own two feet wasn't a studio lined with cameras.
Suddenly, a whole new world stretched out before me.
Modern-looking buildings exuded a contemporary vibe, under a clear blue sky with the sun blazing high.
The shops visible between the high-rises had strangely familiar names and shapes.
The cars passing on the roads were all unfamiliar models.
What is this place... The shoot? That staff member?
My eyes took it all in, but my brain refused to accept it fully.
Even the possibility I'd considered, the information—it all felt rejected. The breeze blowing in and the faint scents seeping into my nose carried an undeniable realism that left me flustered.
My mind went blank white, and my body froze.
How long had I been standing there dazed?
Chattering voices burrowed into my ears.
—If I bomb this placement exam today, Mom said she'd give me allowance!
—You bragged about memorizing everything while playing every day, but didn't cram at all?
—Agh, I don't know! What am I gonna do...!
The cheerful energy snapped my sunken consciousness awake.
"Ha."
I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled.
Then I bit down hard on my tongue, tasting the sharp pain and blood in my mouth.
Okay, first off—not a dream... right?
The vivid sensation confirmed I was alive.
I acknowledged the reality of the situation.
Next, I scanned left and right, gathering info.
The passersby had vibrant, natural-looking hair colors and eye shades.
Here and there, people with animal ears and tails.
No one batted an eye at it, as if it were the most ordinary sight.
Most of the crowd wore matching uniforms, all heading the same way.
That uniform...
Of course I remembered it.
Abyss City, the game where the character modeled after me, Rohan, was set to launch.
The Orion Academy uniform in that game's main stage, Academy City, looked exactly like that.
And beastkin are a common race in Abyss City.
A world with rare elves too.
With understanding, I looked down at my hands and body.
"..."
All I held was a single student ID, handed to me as a "gift."
And for some reason, I was wearing the Orion Academy uniform too.
My smartphone from my pocket was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar model.
Anyway.
Putting together the physical evidence and gut feeling around me, I reached a conclusion.
No doubt about it.
Hard to believe no matter how many times I thought it over.
I'm not some novel protagonist...
I had definitely fallen into the game world of Abyss City.
Just like the characters from the webnovels I enjoyed.
..
..
This world felt intimately familiar from playing the game, with its signature bright atmosphere.
But there were unfamiliar aspects hitting my skin directly too.
Still feels surreal.
Pushing those aside somehow.
The dilemma was how to act from here, but luckily, a guidepost for me existed.
Quest Content: Complete the Orion Academy placement exam.
Type: Tutorial
Success Reward: 100P
Failure Penalty: None
As I accepted falling into the game and tried to move, a translucent window popped up in front of me.
Was it visible only to me? No one else paid it any mind—this mysterious, floating substance.
Orion Academy placement exam...
I pondered the translucent window.
Listing out the info surfacing in my head.
This is something you can't experience in the game, right?
The game's starting point was after half the assignments, with your circle of characters set.
The placement exam was just a side story mention, glossed over.
I knew of its existence literally, but nothing about the content.
This'll be fun.
Full of unknowns, but I didn't dwell long.
My destination was set: Orion Academy, as the quest suggested.
No grand reason.
Just curiosity and interest.
I wanted to see my favorite characters up close if they existed.
Plus, what was this 100P reward?
And most compellingly...
No compulsion in the quest.
No failure penalty meant freedom.
Whether I took the exam or bolted out of Academy City, it didn't care.
That was the best part.
I pulled out the unfamiliar smartphone from my pocket, checked the date—February 26th—and the early time.
Then blended into the cadets heading to Orion Academy.
Drawn by the twitching beastkin ears and swishing tails, I followed.
Soon, the Orion Academy main gate I'd only seen on monitors appeared.
Whoa, it's majestic in person.
A no-vehicle sign flashed at the entrance.
Cadets clustered on one side, forming a line.
"New students! Have your student IDs ready!"
"We'll check them here and hand out placement exam numbers!"
"Written exam starts at 10!"
The booming voices from the bustling staff made the situation clear.
I shamelessly slipped to the end of the line.
"Next."
As the line of standing cadets shortened, I inched forward step by step.
Now I could see them showing IDs and getting numbers.
Ah!
One thing suddenly hit me.
I fiddled with the student ID in my hand.
This'll be fine, right?
Thinking about it, this was a "gift"—could be fake.
It matched the others' in design, with a stamp, but what if they questioned it?
"Hm."
Tension swelled; my throat went dry.
Nothing in my pockets but this weird smartphone.
So I'd vaguely assumed it was legit.
But rationally, it could be exposed as counterfeit.
If they called it forged and caused a scene, should I run?
Glancing around for an escape route in that imagined chaos...
My turn came.
"Student ID, please."
"...Here."
The seated person didn't look like a cadet.
Probably Orion Academy staff.
"Hm?"
The staffer, blankly processing, changed expression and peered closely.
Problem after all?
The brief wait for a response felt suffocating, like a rough hand on my throat.
"Ah! Sorry. I heard there was a Southern affiliate among the new students, but didn't think it was real."
"..."
Not malicious—just surprised. She apologized again, pointing to a paper.
"Just write your name in the signature spot."
She was interested in the affiliation on the ID.
Made sense.
Yeah, if it's Southern as I remember, that's rare.
A relieved sigh threatened to burst out, so I silently grabbed the pen.
Wrote Rohan as on the ID, then straightened.
"Take your ID and number ticket."
Assigned number: 99.
With that ambiguous digit, I followed the surging cadets again.
But why Southern affiliate?
Curiosity about my character mingled.
[Exam Room 4]
Faces from the game in the exam room sparked explosive interest.
But only neglected side characters I'd never raised—disappointment followed quick.
"Tch."
I sat at desk 99, spinning the pen idly, surveying.
Unlike bagless me, cadets pulled books, muttering final reviews.
Written exam. Could I do well?
Classic webnovel trope.
Possessors like me smash theory tests with prior knowledge.
Would I?
Whatever, if I fail, I fail.
No deep thoughts; the new experience was fun enough.
The dreamlike game possession was pure bliss.
I passed the time casually, admiring airships and city views outside, clueless on subjects.
Suddenly, the front door slid open with a rattle.
Click. Click. Click.
A stern-looking woman entered, thick envelope in arms.
Her holstered pistol hammered home the academy vibe—and absurdity.
"No empty seats. Put away everything but pens, turn off smartphones."
Some cadets, packing amid murmurs, sighed in regret over time.
"Written exam is 120 minutes. Finish early? Exit for practical. But once out, no re-entry till end."
The proctor, lecturing from the podium, flicked stacked exam papers one by one.
They fluttered through air, landing neatly on desks.
Cadets' eyes widened at the precise mana control.
"Ooh!"
"Silence. Don't open till I say start. Opening = cheating."
Sharp warning brought silence.
Only faint mutters from memorizers echoed.
Proctor checked her watch.
"Exam start."
At her icy command, cadets rustled papers open in unison.
I gripped my pen with resolve, flipping to the first page.
Question 1) Per Academy City Elysium law, when is a 50-coin fine imposed?
1. Entering a restricted area without permission.
2. Disrupting normal operation of key facilities.
3. Removing Orion Academy weapons without permission.
4. Executing an escaped prisoner without just cause or reporting to Elysium Security Bureau.
...Laws!?
Never saw this coming.
Dizziness hit seeing the unexpected question.
Flipped through; some monster/gear questions, familiar names.
But.
Familiar words didn't mean answers.
What's mana conductivity formula?
Webnovel possessors acing written exams? Common.
But Orion's wasn't solvable with game knowledge.
Felt like reality slapping my head: This is real.
...
I raised my pen, slashed a bold line.
Submitted first, headed straight to practical.